Still Need a Date?
by shockandlock
Summary: Poor Ace is dateless for senior prom and his brothers are forcing him to go. What's the only solution? Ask the model Marco Phoenix out!
1. Still Need a Date?

**A/N: I was bored, so I wrote some MarcoAce. Okay, I should really go finish my other oneshot now. Also, sorry if the letter formatting is weird.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Still Need a Date?<strong>

Prom Night.

The so-called "highlight" of a high-schooler's career. A moment they would remember for the rest of their lives. Well, if you had a date, that is.

Portgas D. Ace was a muscular, young, and handsome teen (thank you very much). He should have no problem getting a date. Right? There were tons of girls from school who would absolutely _die_ if he asked them, so what was the problem?

Well, that's exactly what the problem was. Tons of _girls_. And Ace? Ace was gay.

It wasn't like he didn't appreciate the aesthetic of a woman. Ace had girlfriends in the past, but he wasn't as into it as he could've been.

To be fair, he _could_ ask a girl to go with him, albeit just as friends, but this was his senior year, and he wanted to at least _try_ enjoying himself. His brothers were forcing him to go (Luffy and Sabo, you bastards). They rented his tux and everything!

It's not like those two had any trouble getting dates. Luffy decided to go with his friends, which was to be expected. The Strawhats were always together. Sabo was going with Koala, and that surprised a grand total of _zero_ people. They could have at least helped him get a date. Why was it that he, the eldest and (in his opinion) most attractive brother, was the one without a date?

It wasn't like he knew anyone to ask. Well... he _did_ have someone in mind.

Marco Phoenix: the model.

It was no secret (at least to his brothers) that Ace had a huge crush on this man. When Sabo found those clothing catalogues under his bed, he teased Ace to no end. The blond had figured it out right away, but Luffy was clueless until he was told. More teasing had ensued after that.

Despite the constant teasing, Ace continued his crush. He just couldn't help it! The man was more than handsome and his perfectly sculpted muscles only added to his attractiveness. His silly pineapple haircut had charm, and _those eyes_... Marco Phoenix was the most attractive man in the city, damn it!

But why would Ace even think of asking _Marco Phoenix _to his high school prom? Well let's just say he was humoring himself. It's not like the man was going to write back.

Now here he was, staring at a blank piece of paper and clicking a pen anxiously. He had already made a few attempts (the overflowing waste basket said otherwise) at writing a letter to the man. Honestly, he didn't know what to write. It felt embarrassing, like he was a teenage girl or something.

_'Should I include a picture?'_ he wondered. He pulled a spare picture of him, Luffy, and Sabo out and circled his own face hesitantly. _'I feel like a hitman.'_

There was a sudden beep from his phone, alerting him of the time. _'Shit. 1am.'_

Ace decided that this would be his final attempt and that he would send it no matter what. He spun the pen in his fingers so that the tip was touching the page and began to write frantically, both nervous and eager for sleep.

"Alright! Dear Marco Phoenix..."

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><p>Fan mail.<p>

The love and words of the people who support you. A definite "highlight" of any celebrity's career. Right? Well, if you didn't have to sort it, that is.

The process was tedious and boring. Marco _hated_ it. The content of the mail itself wasn't bad, but he was only allowed to read them after he sorted them. No fun. They were separated into categories from modeling requests to fan girl stalker letters (the latter of which made Marco shudder).

Many of these fan girl letters (both extreme and toned-down ones) requested dates. Hundreds upon hundreds of dates (Marco thought about sending them actual dates once, but apparently having a sense of humor is frowned upon). Many of these girls were good-looking, so why didn't he take the chance?

That's exactly the problem. Hundreds of dates. _With girls_. And Marco? Marco was gay.

So now here he was, sorting through another pile of be-my-boyfriend letters laced with lipstick and heart-shaped stickers. Thankfully he was able to rope Thatch in on this torture too.

"Remind me again. Why do I have to do this?" Thatch whined.

"Because you like to look at girls, yoi."

This was true, as the brunet used this as an opportunity to possibly find a girlfriend. He failed every time, which was no surprise to anyone.

Marco was tired of reading all these declarations of love. He was tired of looking at pictures of long-haired girls, short-haired girls, tall girls, short girls, etcetera, etcetera. The model sighed in discontent. _'I want to take a nap, yoi.'_ he thought as his eyes closed slowly.

"Hey! This one's from a guy!"

The blond's eyes snapped open. He rarely ever got fan mail from men. Maybe there was a chance? He snatched the letter out of his brother's hand and tore it open.

"Whoa! Slow down there, speed racer! I know you're _absolutely desperate_ for a boyfriend, but isn't it a little too soon to go perving on this guy?"

His teasing was ignored.

The first thing that fell out was a photograph. There were three teenage boys and one of their faces was circled in red pen. Marco assumed that this was the fan that sent the letter. When he focused the raven haired boy inside the circle, all coherent thought stopped.

Was he good-looking? _Definitely._ Muscular, too. Freckles dotted his face like stars and an adorable grin adorned it.

Fingers snapping in his face brought him back to reality. "Marco? You're blushing." The blond looked back up at his brother only to be met with a smug look and wiggling eyebrows.

"Stop that," he snapped, unfolding the letter.

_Dear Marco Phoenix, _

_Hey! Or is that too informal? Sorry, I don't really know how these things work. I'll start off with my name. My name is Portgas D. Ace. I'm a senior at Grand Line high school. I bet that it's not every day that you get fan mail from a guy. Right? I hope this letter doesn't make you uncomfortable._

_Anyways, I'm a big fan of your work. Is it fun? Some of the girls at my school tell me that I should get into modeling, but I'm not really sure if that suits me._

_Speaking of suits, the tux that my brothers rented me is one that you modeled! Oh, I should probably give you some context. It's prom season at my school. My brothers rented me a tux because they're forcing me to go. Without a date._

_That's exactly what this letter is about. I know it might be weird, but please read what I have to say. If you're not busy that day, would you maybe consider being my date?_

_Okay, okay. I'm sorry if I'm creeping you out right now. You don't have to even respond if you don't want to. Maybe you could think about it?_

_ Sorry for disturbing you, _

_Fire Fist Ace _

_(Oh, sorry. That's my nickname) _

_Portgas D. Ace._

Oh? Now _this_ was an interesting offer. Ace was definitely handsome and Marco was definitely interested. And besides, what's the harm in surprising a fan?

"I'm not sure that I like that look on your face, man."

"Shut up, yoi."

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><p>Prom night rolled around and Ace was still dateless. Unfortunately, his brothers still expected him to go. The tux was pretty expensive and it would be a waste not to use it.<p>

Ace sighed. Currently, he was alone in their house. Luffy and Sabo had gone on ahead to meet their dates (in Luffy's case, group). He was fiddling with the bow tie in an attempt to tie it. It was no use. Sabo was better with these things. He guessed that he would get the blond to tie it later. He looked in the mirror, admitting that he cleaned up nicely even with the tie hanging around his neck.

It was a shame. Dateless on prom night.

Ace was barely listening, but he heard the doorbell ring. Nobody should have been visiting, but he decided to at least see who it was before heading out.

When he opened the door, he glanced at the clock, noting that he would be late if he stayed any longer. "Sorry. I've got somewhere to be, so please make this qui-"

Once Ace saw who was on his front porch, he almost had a heart attack.

The man in front of him smiled at him charmingly, illuminated by the porch light. This only made Ace's face heat up even more. The blond smoothed the light blue tie that stood out from the rest of his suit and offered a hand to Ace.

"So, Fire Fist Ace. Still need a date for prom?"


	2. Conversations and Cars

**A/N: I wrote more (but I imagine that this won't be super long). A have a few ideas and maybe something sequelish? We'll see. And dialogue hurts my soul because speech tags. ugh. I also fixed the properties because for some reason it never saves my set characters :(**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Marco pulled up to the house of one Portgas D. Ace in his sleek, black car (paid for the by the company, of course). Finding his address was simple. Luckily, Pops knew the boy's grandfather, so it was only a matter of asking. He hadn't contacted the boy beforehand. The blond wanted this to be a surprise. Marco hoped that the boy still needed a date, otherwise this would be really awkward.<p>

Before he left, he had changed into a simple suit. Marco didn't want to dress too spectacularly. After all, this _was_ Ace's night. But he also wanted to impress his date. Because of this, he chose a light blue silk tie to highlight his outfit. As usual, he looked good, which was to be expected considering his job.

What he wasn't expecting was the overwhelming wave of nervousness that washed over him as he parked. What if this was some sort of prank? What if he didn't like the _real_ Marco? He finally had a chance. He liked Ace's letter (and the picture too). He legitimately wanted to date this boy. Pushing his anxiety out of his mind, the model climbed out of his car and walked up to the front door.

He raised his hand hesitantly, unsure whether he should knock or ring the doorbell. He wanted to make sure that Ace knew he was here, but maybe ringing was too impolite. He wasn't sure what to do as he never really visited anyone normally. Deciding that he wanted to be heard, he rang the doorbell and waited anxiously.

After a few minutes had passed, the door was opened suddenly by an inattentive house occupant. Even though he was looking away, Marco knew that this was the boy who had written him. He recognized that freckled face right away (though this was probably because he had spent hours staring at his picture). "Sorry. I've got somewhere to be, so please make this qui-" The young man stopped as soon as he turned and saw Marco's face. He looked as if he was about to pass out on the spot.

The model quickly smoothed his tie and flashed the teen a charming smile. His question left his lips naturally as he offered a hand to the raven-haired teen. "So, Fire Fist Ace, still need a date for prom?"

Ace's face lit up with a vibrant blush. He was so shocked, that Marco could barely understand him. "You're- oh my- what the-" he stuttered. Marco found it adorable.

"Yes, yoi?" _My god_... The teen could feel his heart flutter in his chest as the man standing across from him spoke. That speech quirk only increased Ace's attraction towards the man.

"Is this a joke?" he asked in disbelief. "Do you even _like_ men?"

The model's charming smile slowly turned into a small smirk. Ace had to admit that he found that extremely sexy. "Why do you think there's no news of me with a girlfriend, yoi?" he asked in an almost teasing manner. Ace's blush only intensified. He had never really thought about that before. To his knowledge, whenever Marco Phoenix went out in public, he was usually alone.

"So you..."

"I'm gay, yoi. I saw your letter as an opportunity."

"Opportunity?"

"Everyone always says that it's bad for publicity, yoi. But maybe if they met you?"

"We hardly know each other though."

"I like you, Ace," Marco declared bluntly.

"Eh?!"

"You were brave enough to send that letter, and besides," he stepped closer and ran his fingers along Ace's chin, making the boy shiver. "You're pretty cute, yoi."

"I'm not cute!" the freckled teen protested a little too quickly causing Marco to chuckle. "Hey!"

"Like I said, yoi, cute." His eyes scanned his date and caught the attention of the bow tie hanging loosely around his neck. "Need help with that?"

"Yeah, thanks." Ace looked away and relaxed his arms at his side as his incredibly handsome _date _moved the cloth end over end, tying it perfectly around his neck.

"There, yoi," he said pulling at the ends of the tie. Offering his hand to the teen again, he asked, "Shall we get going?"

Finally seeming to snap out of his shock, Ace enthusiastically nodded and took Marco's hand. Making sure he had his phone and wallet, he shut the door behind him and let himself be led to the celebrity's car.

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><p>The two were probably halfway to the prom venue when Marco noticed his date fidgeting in his leather seat.<p>

"What's wrong, yoi?" The question posed by the older man broke the silence that had earlier enveloped the car.

The young man fiddled with his hands in his lap. "Erm... Could I ask a bit about you?" he asked as he looked down.

"Sure, yoi. Ask away," the driver replied with a warm smile.

"So, um, what's your family like?" Ace asked after struggling to find a question.

"Really?" Of all the things he could ask a celebrity, he chooses to ask about family? It wasn't that Marco minded, but rather he found it strange. The question was so plain. So generic. Oh well. They had plenty of time to get to know each other.

"I couldn't think of a question, okay?" The younger of the two defended.

"No it's fine, yoi." Marco paused and took time to think about what to say first. "I have fifteen siblings," he finally answered.

"Fifteen?!" Without a doubt, he could tell that his date wanted to hear more.

"We're adopted, yoi, and I'm the oldest." The statement rolled off his tongue naturally as he had to explain it many times before.

Ace's eyes seemed to light up at this. "Really? Me too!"

"Hm?"

"You know that picture I sent you?"

Marco nodded. Of course he knew the picture. He spent hours staring at it, after all.

"Those were my younger brothers, Luffy and Sabo!"

"The ones that are forcing you to go?"

"Uh huh," Ace answered shortly as he shifted in his seat to face his date. "They already had people to go with. Sabo, he's the blond one, has a girlfriend. Lu's asexual, so he's going with all his friends."

"So," Marco started, giving the student an interested glance. "A homosexual older brother, heterosexual middle brother, and a asexual younger brother. I wonder what Garp thinks of that, yoi," the blond mused.

This statement confused the raven-haired boy. The name that had just some out of his mouth. It was… "You know gramps?"

"Pops knows him. I met him a few times. That's how I got your address, yoi."

"Pops?" Ace questioned, tipping his head.

"Whitebeard, yoi," Marco replied simply.

At this, Ace seemed to reenter a state of shock, albeit less intense then the first one. "Your dad is Whitebeard?!"

Whitebeard was one of the most influential men in the city. He was an old and wealthy man. There was not a soul in the city that did not know his name. "Is it really that surprising?" the blond questioned with the raise of an eyebrow.

"No, no!" the raven haired boy responded quickly, afraid that he had said something to upset the man. For a moment he thought that the man was mad and would kick him out of the car, but when he was given a look to continue, he said, "I'm just surprised that nobody talks about it."

"That's understandable, yoi," Marco answered, corners of his lips upturning slightly. "Pops tries to prevent any media coverage on the family itself."

"Hey! Why are you smiling like that?"

The model's smile only widened at Ace's outburst. "You looked worried for a second, yoi." The car slowed to stop at a red light and he turned so his date could see more of his face. "It was cute."

The boy pouted, but didn't respond.

A few minutes later, the two pulled up to Grand Line High. The building was adorned with streamers and balloons. The entrance was illuminated by colored lights.

Marco pulled into an empty parking space relatively far from the entrance and silenced the engine with the turn of a key. Ace moved to open the door and get out, but his date stopped him. Confused, he sat there for a few seconds as Marco climbed out and left him alone in the car. He waited until Marco opened his door and took his hand. "Well?" he asked. "Let's go, yoi."

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><p><strong>Please review cause I'd really like to know what you think and I could use some constructive critisism.<strong>


	3. An Unexpected Occurance

**A/N: Okay, I'm sorry if this is late. This was supposed to be different, but then it sort of spiraled off and I didn't want too many things happening at once. Next week's chapter might be a little late too, but I'll finish if I can help it. I'll try to respond to more reviews too. also, have some saboxkoala as a side dish**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Sabo should have expected his brother to be late. The boy had probably been distracted by one thing or another, be it his own tie or a narcoleptic attack. Sabo really hoped it wasn't a narcoleptic attack. He thought that Ace took his medicine. If that wasn't the case, then the raven haired would have quite the experience trying to drive here.<p>

_'Maybe I should go and get him,'_ he thought, taking a sip from his cup of sweet punch. _'What were we thinking, leaving him like that?'_

He felt someone latch onto his arm and he smiled. "Is something wrong?" a girlish voice asked. "You don't seem to be enjoying _yourself."_

"No, no! I'm fine, Koala," he replied quickly to reassure his girlfriend. "How could I not be enjoying myself? You look absolutely gorgeous tonight, after all," he said as he took her hand and spun her in a circle.

"Oh, _you_," she giggled at her boyfriend's flattery, the skirt of her lightly rose-colored gown swirling around her legs as she spun.

"Who? _Me?_ Whatever do you mean?" Sabo asked, playfully feigning obliviousness. He leaned in and gave a quick kiss to the tip of her nose. At this, Koala's giggling intensified, causing a few stares.

"Oi, Sabo!" someone shouted. Once he turned, he saw Luffy bounding towards him, the rest of the Strawhats in tow. He stopped in front of his brother and grinned.

"I see they managed to stuff you into a suit," Sabo mused. "Though you still have your hat and sandals."

The younger one frowned back and tugged at his tie. "Of course I have my hat, stupid Sabo!" he replied, childishly sticking his tongue out. "Oi, Nami!" he called, turning his neck to look at the redhead. "When can I take this off? It's so stuffy!"

Nami wasted no time in going up to Luffy and smacking on the head. "This is prom, moron! Could you bear to be even a little patient?" she barked.

"Nope," he replied bluntly as he picked his nose.

"Stop that!"

Sabo chuckled and gave a short wave to the others. "Hey. You guys clean up nice," Koala remarked politely from his side. In response she was given a couple of flattered grins, blushes, and some trademark denial from little Chopper.

"Oi, Lu," Sabo called.

The redhead and the straw hat-wearing boy stopped arguing, attention having been seized by the older blond. "Yeah?" Luffy asked, tipping his head.

"Have you seen Ace yet?" Luffy had left the house after him. Maybe he knew something about Ace.

"Nope," the youngest brother replied simply, popping the 'p' loudly. His mind quickly changed subjects as he looked around and wondered, "Is there any food? I'm starving!" He skipped off, in search of snacks and drinks.

"Moron, you just ate!" Sanji yelled, running after him. The rest of the Strawhats followed in a panic, hoping that Luffy wouldn't make too much of a mess.

"They're as lively as ever," Koala smiled.

Sabo only sighed, annoyance at his older brother raised. "Geez. Where could that boy be?"

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><p>Of all the weird things that could have happened, this one took the cake in Marco's opinion. When he opened the car door of his date, he wasn't expecting to find his date unconscious in the front seat. Logically, in the time it took Marco to get from one side of the car to the other, there was nothing that could have possibly put Ace in that state. He hoped nothing was wrong with him. It would suck if there had to be a hospital visit on their first date.<p>

_'Should I call an ambulance?' _he thought, panic swelling his chest. He fumbled for his phone in his pockets, but just as he was about to dial, he heard soft snores coming from the freckled boy.

Ace had fallen asleep.

Marco never knew anyone who could fall asleep that fast. It didn't seem humanly possible. He had to admit, Ace's sleeping face was actually very adorable. But after all the boy's excitement, how did he fall asleep? And why? Maybe Ace actually found him... _boring_?

Pushing past the small flutter of disappointment, Marco took his date by the shoulders and gently shook him to wake him up. "Ace, wake up. We have to go, yoi."

Suddenly Ace's eyes shot open, sending a shock to Marco's heart. He yawned loudly and blinked a few times before he realized the situation he was in. "Gah! Did I fall asleep? Sorry, Marco," he apologized with a vibrant blush.

Marco chuckled. Though he couldn't just brush off the event like nothing happened, he had to admit that Ace was cuter than ever. "Are you okay, yoi?" he asked with concern, offering out his hand. "I thought something was wrong."

Ace nodded, taking the hand and climbing out of the luxurious car. Looking away, still embarrassed, he reponded, "I'm fine. It's just that I, uh, have narcolepsy."

The word peaked the model's interest. He had heard of narcolepsy, but he never actually met someone with it. "You mean you fall asleep whenever?" he asked curiously. _'This is good, yoi. We're getting to know each other. He's still interested.'_

"Yep. I have meds to help with it though. I thought I took 'em, but I guess the comfortable car seats made me fall asleep!" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

It seemed to work because Marco gave another chuckle, causing Ace to smile back. "Don't worry about it, yoi," the model started. "It's nice to know something new about you. And besides," Smirking, he reached out and wiped a drop of drool off the freckled boy's chin. "you're still cute."

"Ah!" Ace blushed once again in surprise, not realizing the presence of the embarrassing saliva.

"Just be glad you didn't get any drool on your tux." Marco hooked his arm with Ace's and led his date towards the building. "Let's head inside, yoi."

Upon reaching the door, he pulled it open and gestured politely. Ace took a step inside and then stopped. "Um, Marco?"

"Something wrong, yoi?"

Ace fiddled with his hands. "It's just... Not everyone knows yet. That I'm gay."

Marco smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry," he said. "Same goes for me, yoi." Letting go of the door, he took Ace's hand. "Just show everyone that same bravery you showed me when you wrote your letter."

Staring back into Marco's blue eyes as a silent 'thank-you', Ace took a deep breath and asked, "Together?"

"Together."

When the two entered the gym, Ace nervously gripped Marco's arm tighter. "People are staring," he whispered, darting his eyes around. He could he see the other prom attendees muttering to their dates. He swore he heard something along the lines of _'oh my god'_ and an exclamation of '_he's gay?'_ somewhere in there. It didn't help to quell Ace's anxiety at all.

Suddenly the beat of a song picked up (Ace didn't remember the name) and everyone went back to their partying. The teen sighed in relief. "See?" his date said. "It's fine for now, yoi. Though I can't say the same about the rest of the night," Marco continued, glancing around at some girls who were staring, an adoring look in their eyes. _'Probably fans,'_ he noted.

"It's not as bad as I thought. I just hope that we can enjoy ourselves, I guess."

With a smile, Marco stepped back from him and gave a small bow. "Well, Portgas D. Ace? Are you ready for the night of your life, yoi?"

Ace couldn't help but laugh at the model's charming actions. "Yeah!"

"Oi, Ace!"

Oh dear.

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><p><strong>Looks like you'll have to wait for your reaction chapter. Oopsie daisy. Also YES THERE WILL BE MORE DRAMATIC REACTIONS. They were calm for now, but just you wait.<strong>

**Please review, and if you have any suggestions, I would appreciate them very much! **


	4. The Woes of Being the Oldest

**A/N: And now for the chapter that you've all probably been waiting for! I actually finished this one rather quickly, which surprised me. I don't really know how next week's chapter will go since I don't have anything written and I need to adjust my sleep schedule, so...**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Sabo was still searching for Ace, and when he found him, he was more than shocked. When he saw whose arm his brother was hanging off of, he almost spat out the punch he was drinking. He didn't of course. He wouldn't have wanted to get it all over his lovely date. He recognized the man's face. There was no way he couldn't. It was the one in all the clothing catalogs that Ace kept under his bed. The face that he caught Ace staring at on numerous occasions.<p>

"Holy shit," he blurted out without thinking. Maybe it was the shock. No. It was _definitely _the shock.

"Sabo?" Koala asked, directing her eyes towards where Sabo was staring. "Eh? Isn't that-"

"Marco Phoenix? _With Ace_? Yep." Still dazed from the sight, he took Koala by the hand and headed in the direction of the surprising couple.

"Oi, Ace!"

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><p>Hearing his brother's unmistakable yell startled him. No doubt that the younger blond would be annoyed at Ace's lateness. He turned slowly and saw Sabo approaching with his girlfriend, Koala, at his side.<p>

"Er- hi, Sabo," Ace greeted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"That's all you have to say? Just 'hi, Sabo?'"

Ace was surprised that the blonde wasn't glaring a hole through his skull right now. The tone Sabo was yelling in wasn't an angry one either. It was more... exasperated (with a side of 'I'm _so_ done with you right now).

"Now, Sabo. You don't have to get angry at him," Koala said, laying a hand on her boyfriend's arm.

"Oh? I'm not mad."

Ace's eyes widened at that statement. "You're not?"

"I'm not, but," Stepping closer, Sabo jabbed a finger at Ace and the other blonde. "You could have at least told me you had a date!"

"Eh?"

"Um, Ace, what-"

"I'm your brother! Why didn't you tell me? And of all people, you asked the guy that you-"

"Hey, stop!" Ace shouted, cutting his brother off and attracting a few stares. "You're embarrassing me!"

"My brother's not a dateless loser anymore! I'm so proud!" Sabo suddenly grinned.

A blush lit up on Ace's face once he heard that. "Don't talk like I'm the younger one here!" he shouted.

Sabo turned his grin towards the model. "Yo, Phoenix," he called.

"What is it, yoi?" Marco asked hesitantly, a bit weirded out by the brothers' exchange (not that him and his siblings were any better).

"Take care of Ace. He's a big dork."

"Sabo!"

"Alright, alright. Sabo? I think we should get more punch! Let's go!" Koala exclaimed as she adjusted Sabo's collar. Taking him by his arm, she paused and turned back towards Ace and Marco. "By the way, sir, I would take Sabo's advice if I were you." Her sudden wink and smile startled the two. "You never know. One of those lonely girls over there might just snatch you guys away from each other!" With that, she walked off to the punch table, dragging Sabo along with her (Marco noticed that he was pouting).

"Don't step on his feet, Ace," he called as a last goodbye. He was given a scowl in response.

The raven haired boy stood heavy with embarrassment, unable to look at his date. "Sorry about him," he blushed. "That's Sabo. He's the middle brother. He usually not that…"

"Excited? I could tell by the way his girlfriend was acting. Don't worry about it, yoi," Marco smiled gently. "My brothers are just as bad with me. I'm the oldest, but they just love to embarrass me."

This seemed to have comforted Ace, for he gave out a loud laugh. However, a loud shout from nearby pulled them out of their peace, and Ace was abruptly separated from the blond by a tackle.

"ACE!"

Marco just stared at the heap of tangled limbs on the ground that was his date, forced to wonder what just happened. "Ace, are you okay?"

Ace didn't pull his head up from the floor for he felt heavy shame at what just happened. He responded nonetheless. "I'm fine, Marco. Get off of me, Lu!"

_'Luffy? That's his youngest brother right?'_

"Shishishi!" the boy laughed as he untangled himself from his older brother and stood up. "You're here! Finally! Can you believe this? There's no meat anywhere!"

Seeing it as his job, Marco walked over and helped Ace off the floor.

"Thanks," he said. "Lu, you've got to stop doing that in public."

"Eh? Why? That's no fun!" The boy's gaze suddenly changed to a confused one as he turned to look at Marco. Quickly scanning the man upa nd down, he said, "Why did you bring a pineapple to prom, Ace? And Sabo calls _me_ stupid."

_'There it is, yoi,'_ Marco sighed when he heard that all too familiar nickname._  
><em>  
>"Luffy!" His brother really couldn't take a hint. "He's <em>not<em> a pineapple! This is-"

"Aren't you Marco Phoenix?!" a girl's voice asked. Ace recognized it as Nami's, and sure enough, she and the other Strawhats were approaching from behind Luffy. "No way! Why are you here?"

"Marco Phoenix? Where have I heard that before...?" Luffy muttered to himself, putting himself into a state of (ridiculous-looking) deep concentration.

"Don't hurt yourself, Luffy!" called the smallest member in the group.

_'Is he even a high school student?_' Marco wondered, staring at child who just spoke.

Noticing Marco's stare the young boy darted behind one of the others and peered out. But something was wrong... "That's backwards, yoi."

"Oh don't mind Chopper," Ace interrupted. "He's shy since he's really smart and skipped a few grades so-"

"Shut up! Calling me smart won't make me happy, asshole!"

_'He says that, but he's dancing?'_

"Hey, answer my question!" the girl from earlier snapped.

"I'm on a date," he replied simply. _'Why are they interrogating me?'_

"Oh? With _Ace_?" Her expression changed immediately. There was a sinister glint in her eyes and a smirk upon her lips. Marco didn't like it at all. It unsettled him to his very core. "What do you want to know about Ace? Ask me anything. It will only cost you a small fee of ten thousand beri!"

Marco swore that he saw her eyes turn into beri symbols._ 'That's such a rip-off, yoi!'_

"Since you're famous, she probably thinks you're loaded. I wouldn't listen to her if I were you," a green-haired teen grumbled. "The witch'll take all you got."

"You'd know, moss-head," a blond smoking a cigarette (Marco wondered how he snuck it in) commented.

"What was that, shit-cook?"

The two locked heads and began furiously arguing. Marco had stopped listening to them at that point.

"Though it's quite a surprise to see a model here, it's nice to meet you, Phoenix," the other girl greeted politely. She seemed the most normal out of the group, which relieved Marco greatly.

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you as well, Nico Robin."

"So you've heard of me," she mused, giving a small smile. "I must say, it's quite a surprise to know that a model of your standing is homosexual."

"You don't seem that surprised."

"Well, not to me, but to others…"

"Hey, Robin! What's a model?" Luffy asked, concentration broken to turn to his friend for help.

The smile on her face grew. "Well, Luffy. A model is someone who poses for photographers. Usually for the purpose of showcasing clothes for the general public."

"Clothes?" He stopped to think a little more. His next shout startled the groups and the surrounding attendees. "Oh, I know who you are!" Pointing a finger straight at Marco he exclaimed, "You're that guy in all the magazines that Ace keeps under his bed! In the pictures that Ace stares at a lot!"

Ace felt the blood rush to his cheeks. He thought his head was going to explode from the blushing. "Luffy!"

"What? But that's what Sabo told me."

"Well Sabo and I need to have a little _talk_." He gave out an exasperated sigh. "Look, Lu. Just go have fun with your friends. Okay?"

"Eh? Well if you say so. Hey, guys! Let's go!" He bounced away, friends following.

"They're a lively bunch, yoi."

"I'm sorry about them too," Ace muttered, still annoyed at his younger brothers.

"Don't be," the blond smiled. "Just wait until you meet _my_ family." He stopped, realizing what he just said. "Well, I mean-"

"That would be interesting," the teen said with a smirk, attitude having taken a 180. "You want me to meet your family?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't, yoi." He countered with his own smirk. "Shall we get some punch?"

"We shall."

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><p><strong>Please review and tell me what you think! Any suggestions or constructive criticism? Great!<strong>

**Oh and quick question, do any of you want me to add chapter titles?**


	5. Surprise Attack

**A/N: I honestly, don't know what to put here this time. This is actually way different from what the original chapter was going to be, but I think it's for the best because now there's a bit more insight on the two. And chapter titles will now be a thing! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! (Also, this would've been up earlier, but we were out for my sister's birthday)**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5- Surprise Attack<strong>

Marco had led Ace over to the punch bowl with their arms hooked together tightly. This, of course, earned more than a few stares from the other prom attendees. Ace was glad though, since no one seemed brave enough to approach them. He leaned his head onto Marco, closing his eyes and smiling.

"This is nice," he whispered to his date. "Though I wouldn't mind if there was less staring. It's kinda weird."

"I'm used to it, yoi," the blond responded.

"Huh? Oh yeah..." Ace trailed off uncomfortably. _'I wasn't expecting him to be so blunt about it. I mean he _is _a model, after all! Stupid Ace! Stupid!'_

_'Shit. Did I say something wrong? Pull yourself together, Marco!' _he berated himself after sensing Ace's discomfort. _'Quickly, say something!'_

"Well, I don't usually have someone else with me, so I suppose there are more people staring than usual," Marco blabbed in an attempt to lighten the awkward mood between them. "And besides, this is a high-school. There are a lot of girls, and some of them are bound to be fans." He mentally face-palmed at the last few words that came out.

Fans. More specifically _fan girls_. Fan girls that would inevitably also have a crush on him.

_'Idiot! Don't talk about_ them. _You're on a date right now!'__  
><em>  
>"Sorry," he apologized. "I'm not really used to this whole 'dating' thing, yoi."<p>

Ace's look of discomfort changed to one of surprise relatively quickly. "You're not? I thought you would have dated before."

"You're asking that when were like this right now?" Marco asked, moving their linked arms slightly.

_'Okay. I think we're getting back on track.'__  
><em>  
>"No it's just," a blush appeared on the raven-haired boy's face, "you're a natural."<p>

"What makes you say that, yoi?"

_'So he thinks I'm a natural. That went more smoothly than I thought.'_

"I don't know... Maybe it's your model's charisma? I read about that somewhere. And you're pretty charming too. Ah!" he squeaked his last word, realizing how embarrassing the words sounded.

_'Yeah. Definitely back on track.'__  
><em>  
>"So you think I'm charming," he smirked, making Ace's heart race.<p>

"Well, yeah," the teen admitted. "I've never felt like this before, but I guess that's what girls told me before when I-" he stopped. _'Why did I say that?!'_

The model raised an eyebrow. "When you what?"

"Acey!" a voice called shrilly. Marco flinched. It was grating to listen to.

_'Acey?! Who the f-'_

A girl ran up to them, snow white heels clicking loudly along the polished wood floor.

"You're here!" she squealed, leaning over and showing off her... _assets_ (not that it affected either Marco or Ace).

"Erm, hi."

"Excuse me, yoi, who are you?" The appearance of this rather… _enthusiastic _girl confused Marco to no end. _'Why is she calling him Acey?'_

"I'm Ace's girlfriend!" she exclaimed.

_'What?!'_

* * *

><p>"Oh no," Sabo sighed, looking over at Ace and Marco. "There she goes..."<p>

"Oh, _her_. Do you think she's the reason why Ace is gay?" Koala pondered offhandedly.

"That's silly, Koala. You know that's not how things work. Ace was always gay. He just dated girls since they asked him." He paused to think. "Although, I think she put him off of girls _forever_. No wonder he suddenly had the balls to ask Marco out."

"Well, she _was _a little clingly... Scratch that. A lot clingly. Shouldn't we go and help them?"

"Nah. Ace can handle it. I hope."

* * *

><p>The feeling that surged up inside of Marco when he heard that word was indescribable. He couldn't decide if he was angry or sad or humiliated. "You have a girlfriend?!" he gasped.<p>

"_Ex-_ girlfriend! We're not dating anymore! I broke up with her a _long _time ago!" Ace replied frantically. _'Things were finally starting to go well again and then _she _shows up! Great. Just great.'_

"That's so mean, Acey! You said we would be together _forever_!" the girl whined, clutching the fabric of her lavender prom gown.

"No. _You _said that."

Though Marco was relieved that this girl was _not_ Ace's girlfriend, he couldn't help but feel annoyed that she was still here. Unfortunately, he didn't want to be rude and tell the girl to so kindly 'fuck off'. Just when their date was beginning to get back on track, trouble appears. _'Murphy's Law must love us, yoi.'_

"Oh, it's _so_ nice that you drove him here for me! I never knew you and Acey were friends!"

"We're not."

"Huh? What do you-"

"We're on a date, yoi."

It took a few seconds for the sentence to fully process, but when it did, the girl's face slowly turned to one of pure horror. This satisfied Marco greatly.

"But, Acey-"

"_Not _Acey! Please just leave us alone," Ace snapped.

"There's no way that can be right!" She began tugging on Ace's free arm. "You're mine!"

_'She's crazy!'_

"I hear a lady in distress!" a voice called lovingly. The smoking teen from earlier (he had disposed of his cigarette) waltzed over and took the girl's hand, kissing it tenderly. "Why, mademoiselle, don't look so sad. A beautiful flower such as you is much too good for someone like _him_."

_'Sanji, I am going to set your kitchen on fire,'_ Ace fumed mentally. However, his anger quickly vanished when Sanji gave him a look that said, 'Go!'

Silently thanking him, Ace clutched Marco's arm tighter and continued walking. They stopped near the punch bowl where Ace deemed it safe enough to explain his situation to Marco, praying that their date hadn't yet fallen apart. He stepped away to face his date and took a deep breath.

"So... Ex-girlfriend?" the blond asked with the raise of an eyebrow.

Ace sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't really think it was that important, but I used to date the girls here."

"But I thought-"

Reading Marco's thoughts, he interrupted him. "That I'm gay? I am." He looked down nervously and bit his lip. "I just went out with them because they asked. I tried to be a good boyfriend, but nothing ever got too serious and I never thought much of it."

Ace looked up and expecting to see disappointment in those eyes: the eyes that he had fallen in love with. Instead there was a reassuring smile planted upon the man's face. "You're too kind for your own good, yoi. I like that."

"What? You're not mad?"

"Of course not. It really isn't that important, since you're the one who asked me. You were interested in me first, yoi." He chuckled. "And what was that your brother said earlier? About magazines?"

"Ah!" The teen blushed. "You remember that?"

"It's hard not to, yoi."

"You must think I'm really creepy now." Ace mumbled, breaking eye contact.

"Not really. I've had worse." Hearing this, the raven-haired boy's eyes looked back. "And we're the same in that way, I guess."

These words confused Ace for a second, but when he finally figured it out, he felt like melting. The reality of the statement's connotation was unbelievably overwhelming. Unable to find a sensible response, he stuttered, "Y-you!"

The model smirked and that was the only answer that Ace needed. He reached over and grabbed two cups. "Punch?"

Ace took it gratefully. He was quite thirsty from his nervousness. He hoped Marco hadn't noticed his sweating. He brought the cup of red liquid up to his lips and took a small sip.

"I was like that in school too, yoi." Marco said suddenly.

"Like what?" Ace asked, lowering his punch.

"I dated a lot."

No wonder the man was a natural. "Oh. Well, I guess I kinda expected that."

"Don't get me wrong. I was just experimenting." The blond replied immediately. "It's been a long time since I was really attracted to someone. I guess that's why I'm a little rough on the whole dating thing."

The implications of that made Ace blush. "And me?"

Marco smiled. "I know we hardly know each other, but let's have a good date, yoi!"

Ace nodded happily. Finally, things were turning around. Unfortunately, his bright thoughts were interrupted.

"Um, excuse me..."

* * *

><p><strong>Who is that? Hell if I know. I haven't written anything yet.<strong>

**Please review!**

**IMPORTANT: I also figured out what will happen after this story is finished. I will probably create a one-shot collection of what happens after the dance, so I would appreciate it if you leave any suggestions in a review or PM. **


	6. I'll Make it Up to You

**A/N: Okay, so I'm actually really excited for next chapter even though I haven't started yet. I hope you guys like the cute moments between Marco and Ace in this chapter. And also, for all who were wondering, most of these unnamed girls are just random OC's.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

><p>"Um, excuse me," a voice so quiet that it was almost inaudible mumbled.<p>

Marco and Ace turned their attention towards the voice. Standing there was a girl, starting at the floor shyly. She pushed up her round glasses that were sliding down her nose due to gravity. She glanced up for a second and squeaked, hastily averting her gaze once she realized that the two were staring at her. Ace did not recognize her, so the thought of _'What does she want with us?'_ ran through his mind. _'At least_ she_ didn't come back after us,' _he mused with a short sigh of relief.

"Can we help you?" Marco asked politely, interrupting Ace's thoughts.

_'Wait!'_ Ace thought. _'What if he expecting me to talk to her first since we're schoolmates? Can anything go well right now?'_

"Yeah!" he chimed. "Don't be afraid!"

_'Good, Ace. Way to go. Way to be totally lame.'_

The girl blushed. "Ah- um..."

"Yes?" the blond asked again.

"Can I please have your autograph?" she blurted suddenly, snapping her gaze up to look Marco straight in the eyes.

_'That's it? She only wanted an autograph? Oh well. I guess there _is _a famous model standing in front of her after all.'_

What happened next unsettled the peace that Ace had been holding in his mind. Marco flashed a charming smile, _that same charming smile he had used earlier_, and replied, "Of course, yoi!" Ace felt his heart surge up with jealousy. He attempted to push it back down, for he did not want it to ruin the evening, but to no avail.

The girl's eyes brightened and she held out a pen and paper (which appeared from out of nowhere by the way). Keeping his smile, the model signed off his name with a flourish. Ace, who had moved closer to look over his shoulder, realized that he had never seen the man's signature before. The blue ink stood out sharply against the white piece of paper. The cursive writing curled beautifully. The letters flowed flawlessly into one another. Ace loved it. Left with a sense of wanting, he wondered,_ 'Would it be too weird to ask him?'_

The girl squeaked a 'thank-you' and hurried away. Ace didn't mind her presence, but he was still relieved that she left anyways. _'We can get back to our date now. Right?' _ Wrong. A crowd had formed: more specifically, a crowd of teenage girls, all with their own pens and papers. _'Oh great. She started a chain.'_

As Marco continued to smile and sign his autograph, Ace walked away and sat at a table a few yards from the crowd, listening to the sound of squealing girls diminish. He rested his head up in his left hand and gave a quiet, frustrated groan.

Eventually, the crowd dissipated, the girls returning to their former activities with their friends. Marco, whose vision was no longer filled makeup, dress frills, and skirts, looked around and realized his date was no longer beside him. _'Shit. I wasn't paying attention and he left! I can only imagine what he thinks of me now…'_

_Ace would cross his arms and glare at him. 'I should have known that this would happen!' he would shout. 'You shallow celebrities are all the same!' Then he would storm off, possibly attached to the arm of another man._

'_Ugh. That wouldn't be good,' _he groaned silently, continuing his frantic searching. '_I need to apologize.'_

Suddenly, he spotted his date, sitting at a table nearby. He rushed over with relief. "Sorry," he breathed out. "I guess I got too caught up with those girls."

Ace smiled, but Marco could still see that he was obviously unsettled. "It's okay," he said. "It probably happens a lot."

"No, it's not okay," the blonde sighed, sitting in the chair next to Ace. "You're my date, and I shouldn't be distracted by others."

"Really? But _I_ was the one who walked away."

"I'll make it up to you." Ace looked away, embarrassed.

The two sat in silence for a moment, atmosphere tense. Finally, Ace broke the silence asking, "Do you use that smile on _everyone_?"

Marco placed a hand on his chin in slight confusion.

"It's just that, that's the same smile you gave me when you picked me up, so..."

"Oh, that? It's just a publicity thing, I guess. But..." he paused.

"But what?"

The corners of the model's lips upturned to display a smirk. "If you're worried about me looking at those girls like I look at you, then you don't have to worry. That smile I gave you was special, yoi."

Ace furrowed his eyebrows, heart still racing from the handsome man's smirk. "What do you mean?"

"Because," the model leaned in close next to Ace's ear and purred, "if all goes well, you'll get to feel that smile on your lips."

"Ah!" The raven haired teen pulled away, blush igniting his face. "No one should be able to make a recovery that smooth," he pouted, making Marco chuckle. His laughter stopped however, when he heard the beat pick up to a familiar song. He stood up and held out his hand.

"Would you like to dance?"

"The Cha-Cha Slide? This is when you finally ask me to dance?" Ace grinned goofily up at him. "Sure."

The model led him towards the dance floor, where they joined the crowd of line dancers. As they danced, they smiled at each other and Marco laughed at some of Ace's _strange_ interpretations of the dance moves. When the song ended, a cheer came up from throng of teenagers. Exhausted, Ace and Marco were left panting. "That was nice!"

"That's how you dance?"

"Oi!"

As Marco's smile grew, the beautiful melody of a slow dance started. Though he was still sweaty, he reached over and pulled Ace towards him, placing his hands on his waist. The teen gasped at the sudden action, but allowed his own hands to be placed behind Marco's neck. "This is sudden," he murmured.

"If you're uncomfortable, then we can talk," Marco responded.

"I'm not uncomfortable, but sure! Let's talk."

"I'll ask _you_ a question this time, yoi," the blond said, pulling Ace's head to his chest. The two swayed in silence for a second as Ace let Marco think of his question. "Why do you like me?" the model asked suddenly.

Ace's eyes widened. He hadn't been expecting the man to ask such an important question. "Th-That's..." he stammered.

"You can tell me. I won't laugh."

_'That doesn't mean it's not embarrassing!'_ the younger panicked, taking a deep breath in preparation. "When I first heard of you, I was reading an interview."

"Really?"

"Yes, really! You're the one who wanted to hear about it," he continued. "It was the thing you said about... being free."

Marco remembered the interview now. He didn't quite remember the question, but the reporter had been fascinated by his answer. A model who was tied to this city by a career that loved freedom. The answer was definitely strange.

"I don't really meet a lot of people like that: people who love freedom like I do."

"You too?"

Ace nodded. "I guess it's because Gramps always told us what we could and couldn't do, so whenever he was gone, it felt so good. Not that we really listened to him anyways." He paused for a short laugh. "Maybe that's why I'm so attached to the idea of freedom."

"I can understand that," Marco empathized.

"You can?"

"Before Pops adopted me," he started, "I was always alone, but that didn't mean I was free. It always held me back. Then I finally had a family, I could let go."

"That's kinda the opposite of my reason."

"Well don't they say that opposites attract?" Marco countered.

He wasn't given an answer, but rather a short huff of, "You're seriously good at this flirting thing." And with that, the song slowed to an end, the two in each other's arms. "But I like your reason," Ace said quietly, hoping Marco wouldn't hear.

But Marco smiled back at him anyway and replied, "I like your reason too."

At the man's smile, Ace began to feel warm. He tried to dismiss it as a blush of embarrassment, but the feeling was beginning to grow stronger. He recognized that feeling. He recognized it very well.

Marco pulled back to look at him. "Let's dance more, yoi," he said with a smile.

But instead of following the man's lead, Ace yanked his arm out of his grip, causing the man to raise an eyebrow. "Ace?"

"It's nothing!" the teen insisted hastily. "I just really have to go to the bathroom!" With that he rushed off, leaving Marco behind.

Still confused, the blonde called after him. "I'll just go wait at the table!"

* * *

><p>Ace slammed the bathroom door open and rushed over to the sink. Turning the knob, he let cold water come flowing out. Frantically splashing water on his face, he chanted, "Stay awake, Ace! Stay awake! Stay... awake..."<p>

And everything went dark.

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><p><strong>Please review and keep those suggestions coming because they really do help! I have parts written for some currently, so when the story is over, I can get at least two out. One of them is smut, so if you're into that, then rejoice. <strong>


	7. Communication Errors

**A/N: Surprise early update! Usually, I only upload on Wednesdays, but I had the next two chapters finished early. Yay for that!**

* * *

><p>"Ace! Ace!" He felt himself being frantically shaken by his shoulders. "Wake up!"<p>

He blinked his eyes open, and seeing yellow hair, groaned out a, "Marco?"

The person sighed. "It's me, you idiot." Ace's vision cleared to see Sabo staring- no- _glaring_ back at him. "You forgot to take your narcolepsy meds. Didn't you?"

Sabo didn't need a response. What just happened was more than enough explanation. "How many times?"

Trying to distract him, Ace took some paper towels from the dispenser. His face was still wet from earlier when he splashed water on it to try and stay awake. "Two," Ace muttered, hoping his brother wouldn't hear. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

His brother rolled his eyes at him. "I keep reminding you to take them. You can't keep doing this, Ace!" he scolded.

"It's not my fault they taste like shit," the older brother grumbled, recalling the texture of the pills as they went down his throat.

"You're really saying that now? That's not the point! You have a date!"

"So do you!" Ace yelled back, in an attempt to counter his brother.

"And she _knows_ what I left to do! You didn't just leave Marco alone without telling him you were having an attack, did you?"

Sabo's interrogation must have struck a chord with Ace because his eyes widened in realization. "Fuck." He pushed his way past his brother, rushing back to the gym.

"Oi, Ace! Wait up!"

* * *

><p>Marco was more than confused when his date rushed away. Had he screwed up yet again? As far as he knew, the dancing was going fine. <em>'I hope Ace is okay,'<em> he thought sipping from the punch he had earlier gotten with his date. He had been gone for a while now, and Marco was beginning to worry. When he left earlier, it seemed much more serious than a simple bathroom break. _'Maybe I should have gone with him.'_

Just when he was about to get up and follow Ace to the bathroom, he heard someone sit down next to him, He turned to see who it was, but it was not Ace at all. The girl sitting next to him had long blond hair that waved around her figure and fell near her low neckline. "Hello there," she purred, making Marco feel immensely uncomfortable. Just looking at her, he knew that she would have no respect for his personal space (something that the fan girls had surprisingly shown earlier). "What's _the_ Marco Phoenix doing at a high school prom?"

"I'm on a date," he replied, trying not to groan. _'Do I have to keep explaining it?'_

"Really? With a _guy_?" She leaned over, presumably so Marco could get a good look at her body. He was not impressed. "Oh, how rude of me. I'm ..."

* * *

><p>Once Ace got back to the gym, what he saw left him <em>displeased<em> to say the least. There was a girl sitting in his chair, leaning over and displaying her breasts to the model and others surrounding them. She reached up, placing a hand on his date's arm. _'I leave for the bathroom and some _blondie _tries to get all touchy-feely with him? Damn,' _he fumed. _'This is a high school, not a strip club.'_

He was about to storm over and yell at the girl, who was obviously disrespecting his date's personal boundaries, and then Marco's hand moved to touch the girl's arm. Heartbreak began to course through Ace's veins at the sight. _'Did he actually come with me to pick up girls and he's using me as an excuse?'_ Not wanting to watch any longer, he turned and walked towards the punch bowl to obtain a new drink: one that hadn't been near blonde whore.

He reached for the clear plastic ladle to pour himself some punch when he was interrupted. "Something bothering you, Portgas?" a voice mocked.

Turning around, his vision was invaded by a ridiculous amount of red. He recognized the flashy fur coat immediately. "Yo, Kid," he grumbled. "What do you want?"

The redhead grinned his unsettling grin. "Who would've thought that ladies man, Portgas D. Ace, would bring _that guy_ to prom?"

Ace scowled.

"It's no wonder that rich bitch's tryin' to get into his pants."

"Fuck off," the raven haired snapped.

"Calm down there, Fire Fairy! Just making some conversation here," Kid defended, adjusting his goggles on his head.

"Why do you even have those with you anyways?" Ace asked, trying to change the subject. As much as he hoped there was a way to salvage his date, he didn't want to think about it.

"What do you think?" he jeered back. "Guys like me, we don't follow that stupid dress code." He slid him a cup. "Why don't you take a drink?"

Without much thought, Ace downed it and took another, not noticing the other's mischievous grin grow.

* * *

><p>"Excuse me," Marco grunted, trying not to lose his cool. He had already lost his personal space, so he didn't need <em>that<em> happening. He lay a hand on the girl's arm to pry her off of his body. "I would appreciate it if you _did not_ touch me."

"Don't be like that!" she cried. "Wouldn't you like to dance with me? Have my body pressed up against yours~?" She leaned back in, tracing circles on his chest to try and seduce him.

"No." Marco wasn't having any of it.

Then he saw his date, running off towards the punch bowl. _'Shit. He didn't think that- I need to go get him.'_ He stood, intending to follow Ace and explain what was happening.

"Where are you going?" the other blonde whined, tugging at his arm.

He snapped. He was done dealing with this rich brat's shit. Marco glared at her coldly. "I have a date to get back to. One that _you're _not a part of."

At that moment, her expression changed. It was no longer playful and seductive. It was-

"You know, this little thing of yours wouldn't look so good in the tabloids tomorrow."

- dark and manipulative.

"But if you come with me, I'm sure my daddy could pull a few strings~"

Marco was pissed. This girl had _the nerve _to suggest that his reputation meant more to him than his love life. As much as he wanted to walk away and leave the girl with a 'fuck you', he had a feeling that that the task would not be nearly as easy as he hoped. He was used to the tabloids and their lies, but he didn't want Ace to get caught up in that shit. It would ruin the poor boy's life. He was fully prepared to make this decision if it meant protecting him.

He breathed in, ready to answer, but he was suddenly interrupted by another girl's voice.

"Excuse me, miss," Robin said calmly. The smile on her face held no joy. It was the kind of smile that people only gave when they were truly mad. The smile that was always a trap because it would cause a scene to lash out at someone looking at you so kindly. "Your _date_ was looking for you. Was he not?"

"What do you want?" the brat hissed. "I suggest you leave. I could ruin your life you know."

"Oh really?" The dark-haired girl's eyes glinted. "The records of your family say otherwise."

She froze, glaring at the Strawhat member. She huffed and turned on her sharp heels, strutting away in search of the partner she apparently already had.

Once she vanished from sight, Marco sighed in relief. "Thanks," he told Robin.

"Don't mention it," she smiled.

What happened just now made Marco extremely curious. He figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. "Why do you guys keep helping us?" he questioned, recalling the earlier actions of the other blond.

"Ace is our friend too," she replied simply. "We want him to have a good time." Her smile suddenly changed to the one she gave the other girl, making a chill run down Marco's spine. "I don't think things will end quite well for you if you hurt him, Mr. Phoenix."

He nodded. "Of course not. And I see that your reputation does indeed precede you."

"I figured as much," she commented, though it didn't seem as if she cared. "Well, enjoy your night," She walked away to rejoin her group.

Silently thanking Robin a second time, he rushed after Ace, hoping to pull their date out of the depths where it fell.

* * *

><p>When he got to the punch table, he was <em>not<em> expecting his date to practically jump on top of him. "Ssseeee, Kidddd?" he giggled, latching himself onto Marco's arm. "I tollldd 'ja that'a Marcooo wouldn' goooo fa ssssome whorrre." Something was wrong. Some was _definitely _wrong.

The blond pulled away, holding Ace in front of him. The boy was grinning goofily, but his eyes were lidded. Marco recognized what was happening immediately. The telltale signs of flushed cheeks and slight stench of breath were more than enough. "Ace," he started slowly, hoping the teen would understand, "you're drunk."

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><p><strong>There will still be a chapter on Wednesday, so don't worry!<strong>

**Please review!**


	8. You've Got to be Kidding Me

**A/N: Some flustered Marco because drunk Ace demands it. Oh, this was so fun to write, yet so tedious! alsohahapunsforchapternames**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>"I'ma nooottt drunkk!" Ace slurred. "Thass ssssoo meannn, Marrrcooo!"<p>

The teen was _definitely_ drunk. Marco didn't understand why he was denying it. "Ace, be honest with me. What happened?"

"Eeehh? Whaaat do ya meannn?"

"Just tell me, yoi."

"You did it again! Yoi!" the teen giggled. Marco knew that whatever alcohol he drank was influencing him, but he couldn't help but feel a bit pissed. That is, until Ace spoke next. "Thassss sssssooo sssexyy, yyya knowww!"

"W-What?!" he exclaimed, face heating up. Ace once again attaching himself to his person didn't help in the slightest Suddenly, he heard someone laugh- no, _cackle_- from nearby. Turning, he saw a redheaded teen laughing his ass off. It didn't take too much thinking to figure out why. "What's your name, kid?" he growled, storming up to him and dragging Ace along.

Cocky grin not leaving his face, he answered, "Why don't you tell me?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Nehhh, Mmmarco," Ace piped, still blurring his words together. "Thasss Kiddd. H-h-he gave mmmee sssome punch," he continued, hiccuping in between.

_'The punch! I should've known.'_ The teen hiccuped again. The blond was still mad, but Ace's hiccups were just too goddamn cute! "What the hell is wrong with you?" he hissed, trying to keep calm from both the anger and his date's overwhelming cuteness.

"Don't be that way!" Kid jeered. "It's not my fault Fire Fairy over here fell for it!"

"So you admit it. What did you put in there?"

"You don't need to know. What I _will_ tell you is that it was some _strong_ stuff!"

Marco scowled.

"It's not prom if no one gets drunk! That's my job! And besides," the redhead grinned, exposing his teeth, "don't deny that you don't like it."

As much as he wanted to, he really couldn't. Ace's intoxicated state was just too adorable with his cheerful smiles and stumbling. He felt disgusting and perverted for liking it. "Screw off," he snapped as he walked away with his date. That didn't stop Kid's laughter at all.

"You okay, Ace?" he asked once they were at what he deemed a reasonably safe distance.

"Whadda ya meeaan? I'ma fine, Marccoo!"

"I'm going to take you home now. Is that okay, yoi?"

"Ehhhh? But thasss nnnooo fffunnn!" Ace whined. He suddenly pulled himself off of Marco only to embrace him him fully and bury his face in the blond's chest.

"A-ace?"

"Neh, Marco?" Ace _purred_. "You're so warm. _So big_."

Marco thought his nose was going to burst with blood.

Okay. So the words that came out of the boy's mouth may or may not have ignited Marco's mind with sexual thoughts. Also, his pants may or may not have gotten tighter. Ace's proximity didn't make things any better. "Okay!" he exclaimed, panicking slightly. "You're definitely going home now."

"Oi, Phoenix!"

_'Shit.'_

"H-h-hiiiii, Ssssabooo!"

"Oh god. What's wrong with my brother?" Sabo asked concernedly. "He wasn't like this in the bathroom."

"Spiked punch."

"Figures," he sighed. "Give him here. I'll take him home."

Marco shook his head. "No. I'll do it. Enjoy your night.

The younger grinned at him. "Really?"

The model smiled back at him and nodded.

"I know he's a bit of trouble, but thank you." Turning back around to join his date, he stopped. "You know the way. Right?"

"Of course."

"Good. Thanks again!" Sabo waved farewell, putting an end to the short exchange.

Marco adjusted Ace's position back to his left arm. "C'mon. Let's get you home."

* * *

><p>Pulling up to the driveway of Ace's house, Marco couldn't help but feel disappointed. Ace was still giggling happily, but the date was over. He got out and opened Ace's door. "Alright, Ace. We're here. Do you need me to help you in?"<p>

Ace laughed, holding out his arms. "Carrrryy mmeee."

The blond smiled. Ace's childishness was too cute to be annoyed at. He turned around and kneeled. "I'll give you a piggyback, yoi."

"Yay!" the teen cheered, thrusting his arms and legs around Marco's body. "Forward, Birdy!"

Okay. Maybe he was pushing it a little.

Marco climbed up the front steps and carefully maneuvered his hand to open the door. The only problem is: the door was locked.

"Ace, I need you to give me your keys, yoi."

"Can't. I don' have 'em."

_'What?'_ Shock pulsed through Marco as he tried not to drop Ace. This situation was not spelling 'good'.

"Lu lllosst h-his, sssooo h-he took mine."

_'Damn those cute hiccups.'_

Marco was now faced with a difficult choice. He could drive all the way back to the school to ask Ace's brother for the keys, or he could leave Ace on the porch and hope the boy didn't do anything stupid. _'But there's also_ that_...'_

"Marrrcoo, I'm ssssllleeepyy," Ace mumbled.

He no longer had a choice of he wanted to comply with his date's wishes. "Just hang on a little longer, yoi," he whispered.

* * *

><p><em>'I may regret this later,'<em> the blond thought as he pulled into his usual parking space in front of the Whitebeard mansion (or as they liked to call it, the Moby Dick).

"Wooowww, Mmmarco. Yourrrr h-housssse issss huge!"

Marco would've appreciated it if Ace stopped describing the size of things.

"Arre ya' gonna give mmmee 'nother piggybaaackk?"

"If you'd like."

Thankfully, Marco had no problem getting into _his own_ house with _his own _keys (though it was a little hard while carrying Ace on his back. Entering the grand foyer, he shut the open door (the house had double doors) behind him with his foot. The room was unlit, indicating that everyone was either out or already asleep. This fact washed over Marco with a wave of relief. He began climbing the wide, marble staircase immediately, not taking time to remove his shoes.

The teen continued to giggle as they climbed. "Mmaarrrcoo's ssssoo ssstrong."

Okay. Ace should just _stop_ describing anything at all.

Marco crept down the hallway quietly, trying not to wake anyone. He hoped that Ace's noises wouldn't wake anyone either. He entered his room and quickly set Ace down on the cream colored couch in the corner. "Sorry. I'd give you the bed, but the sheets aren't clean, yoi." He didn't want to risk his family discovering Ace in one of the guest rooms, so this option seemed the safest.

"Ish finnnneee," the raven haired drawled. "But whyyy _arrrreee_ theyyy dirrrtyyy? Maayyybeee Marrrcooo wasss _doin'_ somethin' dirrtyyy."

"I'm going to get you a blanket now," Marco interrupted, turning his back and walking to his closet. The boy's perverted, yet strangely seductive words were becoming too much for him to handle. "Here you go, A-"

His heart almost stopped.

Ace was standing in front of him in nothing but his boxers. His sculpted torso was exposed, making Marco blush. He knew Ace was muscular from the picture, but seeing it in front of him, close enough to touch, was almost surreal. A tattoo ran down his left bicep, but Marco was too distracted by something else to notice what it was. Black fabric hugged his hips perfectly, graphically outlining what lay beneath.

He felt his sanity slowly dwindling. _'Why, god? Is this some sort of test?'_

"Mmaarrrcooo! Don' ssstaarree at mmeee like tha'! Ish embarrassssin'!"

"W-w-what are you doing?" The model _stammered._ He couldn't believe that this boy's _absolutely gorgeous _body made him lose his composure.

"I'ma gon' ta ssslleeeeppp! Whas' it look like?"

Just his luck that his date would sleep in his boxers; his _crotch hugging_, _penis outlining_ boxers.

He turned away, trying to gather up the bits of reasonable thought that still remained. He slammed the closet door open again. Taking a random t-shirt from the inside, he handed it to Ace. "Please put this on," he murmured, still looking away.

After he heard the rustling of fabric, he deemed it safe to look back, but the sight only made him flush harder. The shirt was big on Ace and Marco couldn't decide if this was less arousing than having the boy sleep half naked.

"Mmmarrrcoo, thisss sssmelllss sooo nice!"

Okay. Maybe he just made it worse (considering that those words were _very_ arousing), but it would have to do.

He hastily led Ace back to the couch and laid him down. "You can sleep now. Okay?" He said pulling the blanket up to Ace's chin.

"Allllrighhtt, Mmmmaarrrco! Nighty night!" The teen fell asleep almost immediately and Marco groaned in relief. He wasn't annoyed at Ace, but damn, was he glad that he didn't give into temptation. He gathered the scattered pieces of Ace's tux and laid them out on the chair. He'd give the teen a bag to put it in tomorrow.

Once he lay in his queen sized bed (admittedly, also in his boxers), Marco sighed. He really thought he had a chance this time, but the night turned out to be a disaster. He only hoped that Ace would forgive him in the morning. Expecting an unpleasant sleep, he closed his eyes and drifted off.

But when he woke, he wasn't expecting to feel a warm presence beside him, tangled in his arms.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm trying to crank these out before school starts, so more updates. Rejoice! You guys are going to <em>hate<em> me for one of the oneshots I wrote for the collection.**

**Please Review!**


	9. The Morning Aftermath

**A/N: This will probably be up on Sunday or Saturday, so review responses will be earlier than normal (I hope). If this _does_ go up on Saturday, it's probably because I was bored. Also 'cause I'm excited for this one to go up. Last one will still go up one Wednesday though.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Marco was only half-awake when he realized it. His arms were wrapped around something: something... <em>warm<em> and rather firm too. He opened his eyes slowly, for they were still stinging from sleep. In front of him was the faint outline of messy, dark hair illuminated by morning sunlight streaming in from the window.

... Dark hair? But wasn't Ace supposed to be sleeping on the couch?

His eyes opened fully, vision focusing. _'Why, god? Why?' _he cried silently. Ace was once again shirtless, snuggling his face into Marco's bare chest. The t-shirt he lent Ace lay discarded on the couch along with the thin blanket. Somehow, he had crawled over into his bed during the night. His arms were wrapped snugly around Marco's torso, and for some reason, Marco's arms were doing the same to the teen himself. He supposed it was some sort of instinct. Their legs were tangled together as well.

The fact that "something else" woke in the mornings didn't help Marco's predicament.

Trying not to panic, he pulled away slightly only to find Ace smiling cutely in his sleep. The blond took a deep breath to try and keep his composure. Ace just looked too content to be disturbed! Suddenly, he let out a sleepy moan, making Marco's cheeks flush.

_'Okay, Marco. Just try to get out of the bed with minimal movement.'_

The boy's eyes flew open.

_'Shit.'__  
><em>  
>Ace blinked a few times. He still seemed out of it as he sat up. Marco followed suit, careful not to say anything.<p>

"Wha... Where am I?" the raven-haired mumbled, holding a hand to his head. "Why am I..." His face lit up red when he saw what was in front of him. He was staring at Marco's naked, muscular torso, which was inked by a strange, blue cross. _'He has a tattoo? They never show that in the magazines._' And then he realized something as his eyes traveled downward to a tent in the man's boxers.

They were both stripped down to their boxers.

Putting the pieces together (albeit in the _wrong way),_ Ace opened his mouth instinctively to let out a yell.

_'The others will hear!'_ the blond panicked silently. He jolted up, impulsively pinning Ace down under him and clamping a hand over his opened mouth.

Without warning, the door burst open. "Yo, Marco!" Thatch greeted much too audibly. He stopped, wide-eyed when he saw his brother's position: half-naked leaning over a blushing teen who also happened to be half-naked. A hand was firmly clasped over the teen's mouth and both their boxers clearly outlined a typical morning erection.

Marco only realized how sexual they must have looked when he saw his brother's eyes glint dangerously. "Thatch! Wait, yoi! This isn't-" He was interrupted by a loud click, as Thatch had pulled a camera out of his pocket and snapped a photo of his brother's compromising position.

The brunet smirked, pocketing his precious blackmail. "Carry on," he sang cheerfully as he exited the room and shut the door behind him.

Even though they were now alone, Marco remained frozen above Ace, mortified at what just happened. A slight prodding at his hand brought him to back to reality and he directed his attention back at Ace, who looked just as embarrassed as him. "Sorry," he said, hastily climbing off of him.

"N-no. It's fine," Ace stammered, unable to make any eye contact. On one hand, the situation was just too awkward. On the other hand, Ace didn't think he could handle looking at Marco's perfectly toned muscles. "We didn't...Did we?" he asked, unable to bring the proper words to his lips.

Marco responded immediately, "Oh god no, Ace." He walked over to his closet to get some clothes. "I wouldn't do that to you," he reassured, opening the door.

"Thank god. I guess my ass doesn't really hurt anyways," Ace said, unintentionally making Marco's heart pound. "So what exactly happened?"

"Spiked punch," he answered. "It was that redhead, Kid."

A sudden growl startled him and he turned back around to face the teen. "Damn it!" he yelled, pounding his fists together. "I'll kick his ass on Monday!"

Any normal person would have feared a muscular boy whose eyes were lit up in anger, but Marco chuckled, making Ace face him, anger replaced with embarrassment. "I see you've got a temper," the model noted.

"Er- sorry."

"No, it's fine. I would've kicked his ass for you anyways if you weren't so drunk."

Ace snorted. "You? A model who can 'kick ass'?" This was new.

"I may be a celebrity, but that doesn't mean I can't fight for myself, yoi."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

The two were now staring each other straight in the eyes. Suddenly, Ace began laughing, unable to keep the serious expression on his face any longer. It was contagious, for Marco began laughing as well. They both were glad. The mood had lightened between them significantly.

"Here," Marco said, tossing him some clothes. "Put these on."

Though the thought of wearing the model's clothes was overwhelming, Ace complied. He didn't want to go home in his constricting tux. He was curious to see if they smelled like the man, but he realized that bringing the fabric to his face to inhale the scent would be creepy.

"So," Marco started, trying not to stare as Ace buttoned up the oversized shirt. "I put you on the couch yesterday. Do you know how you ended up in my bed?"

The teen's eyes widened. "Ah- That's- Um..." He sighed, "Sabo, Lu, and I all shared a room when we were younger. I haven't shared a room in a long time, so I guess I was naturally attracted to your body heat." Once again, Ace had looked away.

"And the shirt?"

"I probably took it off when I sleepwalked 'cause I usually sleep without one. Sorry."

The blond shook his head, though he was still a bit surprised from waking up next to the shirtless teen. "It's not really your fault. And besides," he smiled, "I haven't slept that well for a while now. You're warm, yoi."

Ace's face heated up. "I-I guess it wasn't that bad. You _were_ pretty comfortable after all."

He quickly pulled up the pair of shorts given to him after realizing his lower half remained uncovered. "But I'm sorry about the whole- er, you know... _morning thing_," he mumbled, securing the loose article of clothing around his waist with a belt. It was too embarrassing to actually say, but Marco understood him perfectly. The meaning of the words was enough to make him blush.

"Don't apologize," he coughed awkwardly. "It's natural. Even _I_-" He stopped, remembering where Ace was staring earlier before Thatch burst in on them. "Just don't mention it."

There were a few seconds of silence between them before Ace piped up to change the topic. "So what's up with your tattoo?"

Marco raised an eyebrow before realizing that he was, embarrassingly enough, still undressed. He snatched a pair of pants and slipped those on first as he responded, "This is Pops's symbol, yoi. Everyone in our family has it. It's our pride and joy!" he declared, grinning proudly.

Ace looked rather interested. "Really?" His eyes were shining, but the teen suddenly tipped his head in confusion. "I've never seen it in magazines and stuff whenever- er- you know..." He flushed slightly,as the image of Marco's muscular torso had popped into his mind.

"Oh that. They remove it in photoshop after shoots," the model explained.

"But why? It's so cool!"

Marco chuckled. The boy's curiosity was adorable. "They say tattoos are bad for the 'model's image.'"

"Isn't that a little insulting?" Ace asked. "It's your pride and joy. Right?"

"I don't mind," the blond responded, shaking his head. "In a way, it's for the best."

"What do you mean by that?"

"No one will ever confuse the _real_ me with the one they see in magazines. Can you really fall in love with just someone's appearance? That's why I'm glad, yoi." He turned to Ace, thinking of the words they had exchanged the night before. "I'm glad that you liked me before you saw me. From the interview."

Ace heart began beating rapidly. Cheeks heating up with a blush once again, he stammered out, "Th-That's- Um... I-!"

"And what about your tattoo?" Marco questioned casually. It seemed to calm Ace down quite a bit, for he remembered that the short sleeves of the borrowed shirt exposed his own markings. "It looks like your name."

"Er- it is," he answered, a bit surprised that Marco would find interest in his tattoos.

"And the crossed out 'S'?"

"Wow!" Ace grinned suddenly. "You're the first person who hasn't told me that it was a mistake!"

"Tattoos have stories behind them, yoi. I'm more than willing to listen to yours."

"Well," he started. "We, my brothers and I, got into a bit of trouble when we were younger." His expression softened. "Sabo saved my life. That's why I got it. For him."

There seemed to be more to that story than Ace was letting on, but Marco wouldn't pry. It would be rude and he doubted that Ace would be willing to divulge the information anyways. "I see," he smiled. I guess we both got them for our families then."

He stood and held out a bag to Ace. "Here's your tux." Walking over to the door and opening it, he said, "Just stay behind me and my brothers will _hopefully_ leave you alone."

* * *

><p>The open foyer and elegant staircase was quite a surprise to Ace. "Wow!" he exclaimed as they climbed downwards. He stared in awe around the grand foyer shining from rays of natural light coming in from the large windows. "I guess I should've expected your house to be so big. It's a freakin' mansion!"<p>

"Well, there are a lot of us," the blond replied when they reached the bottom. "Here," he said opening a small door in the downstairs hall. "I'll try to find you some shoes to borrow."

Ace nodded as Marco rummaged around. He began to hear a soft humming noise from nearby. It was as if someone was concentrating.

"I approve!" that someone suddenly shouted. Without warning, Ace was seized by the wrist and dragged down the hall.

"Hey! Get back here, Izo!"

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so the next chapter will be the last one (it's sort of a mess rn though), but I have about five oneshots written.<strong>

**Please Review!**


	10. Chance

**A/N: I'm sorry that this last chapter is so 'ugh'. It might be later than usual because first of all, little to no motivation rn. Second of all, I''m trying to add a little more to the chapter. Review responses may also be late. I kinda feel bad that this is all I have to say about the last chapter. Oh well. Let the (possibly disappointing) finale commence!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Ace was dazed with confusion as he was dragged away. He couldn't see who took him, for he was being pulled in a way that the man was out of sight. They finally stopped and he was pulled into a rather expensive-looking room. The flat screen TV in the center was surrounded by leather couches and love seats. Nicely carved wood shelves held thick books and colorful glass ornaments. Ace noticed that the channels were changing, as someone was lounging on the center couch and clicking the buttons on a remote.<p>

"What do you think, Jozu?" The man holding his arm asked. Finally having a chance to see him, Ace saw that the he was wearing a kimono and lipstick: a strange choice of clothing for a man, but he looked pretty nice regardless.

The tanned man sitting on the couch turned around and stood. He had a rather hulking figure and large arms. His darkly colored hair and beard were cut oddly. "Who's this?" he grunted.

"He was with Marco. Wearing some of his clothes. See?"

Thinking that he should speak up, the teen coughed to get their attention. "Excuse me-"

"Ace!" Marco came barreling through the living room entryway behind them. "Are you okay, yoi?"

He blushed, finding Marco's concern rather embarrassing. "I'm fine, Marco. But why-"

"Oh, so your name is Ace?" the lipsticked man interrupted. "How rude of me. I'm Izo. One of Marco's brothers."

"Jozu." the other man greeted, no enthusiasm in his tone.

Ace nodded back at the two, but Marco sighed. "What gives, Izo?"

"Marco dear, you should really tell us when you should bring boys to the house," Izo scolded. He grabbed Ace's face, poking, prodding, examining, and eventually moving along to his torso. "He looks so young! You made sure to check that he's legal, I presume?"

"Probably is," Jozu commented offhandedly. "Marco wouldn't put his dick inside a minor. Thatch _did _say he was taking care of his 'good morning surprise.' Had a picture too."

Recalling the brunet that had barged in earlier combined with the current comments made Ace too embarrassed to say anything. He couldn't even find the strength to squeak out an, 'I'm eighteen.' Marco, on the other hand, looked like he was about to explode at his brothers.

"Where is that bastard so I can kill him?" Marco growled.

"Work. Wanted to get away from the house as soon as possible _before_ you killed him. Don't get your feathers all ruffled now."

"Who's feathers are being ruffled?" someone chimed as they burst into the room from a door in the back. "I heard some feather ruffling!" The girl scanned the room and when they saw the teen, they yelled, "Ace?!"

"Haruta?!" The freckled teen exclaimed, a small smile breaking out on his face.

She ran over and tackled Ace to the ground, making him give out a yelp.

Marco was rather shocked as well. "You two know each other?" This situation was just unreal.

Grinning, Haruta untangled herself from Ace and pulled the two of them off the floor. "Ace was two years under me in high school. We played pranks together all the time! But , man. It's been awhile! I haven't seen you since- what? _My_ graduation?"

Ace's eyes glinted. "A little bit after that! Remember?"

"Oh yeah! With Sabo and Koala. Right?" Seeming to recall this bizarre memory, Haruta began giggling wildly.

_'I should've known,'_ Marco thought. _'Another prankster duo. He _is _kind of childish, but I can forgive him for that. It's cute.'_ Deciding that this trait did not lessen his attraction to the boy any less, he continued listening.

She pat Ace on the back. "Acey, if you were looking for some _hot action_ with my brother, then all you had to do was just ask _me_! Or maybe I could've given you some 'exclusive' pictures?"

"Oi, Haruta!" Ace changed his mood instantly with a scowl. One could easily tell that this scowl was being used to disguise an embarrassed blush though.

He was ignored as she turned to Marco next. "You too. If I had known that you would go after the younger ones, I would've hooked you guys up! I could've been a matchmaking hero!"

"I doubt that, Haruta dear," Izo informed bluntly as he examined his perfectly manicured nails.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Exactly what you think," Jozu grumbled quietly, turning back to the television.

The brunette rolled her eyes and continued talking to her friend. "So _prom_ was last night. Wasn't it?" She smirked. "So tell me, who spiked the punch this year?"

The immediate darkening of the expression from both her brother and her friend was more of an answer than she needed. "Oh," she said. "So it _wasn't_ you?"

"Kid," Ace hissed. Marco stayed silent.

"I'm guessing _you guys_ got drunk then. No wonder you're here." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Didja use protection?"

"I didn't get drunk and we _didn't_ have sex," Marco replied immediately, deciding to be straight with his family before they got any ideas. "Ace was the one who was intoxicated. I tried to bring him home, but we were locked out. I let him sleep on the couch in my room."

"Awwww! Disappointing!"

"Oh my," Izo piped. "So those noises I heard last night were merely drunken slurs?"

"You were awake?"

"It sounded more as if you were about to have sex."

Ace froze when he heard those words. _'Just what the hell did I say yesterday?!_' he panicked.

He looked over at Marco who, strangely enough, was blushing furiously. Ace was mortified. He could only hope that his drunken self wasn't too forward with the man, but he felt like hiding in a hole.

Though Marco himself was blushing, he could see that his date was easily more red than he was. Pushing past his own embarrassment, he coughed. "Okay. I should really get Ace home now!" He dragged Ace away before his siblings (the ones that were there anyways) could embarrass them any further.

The two ended up leaving so quickly that the man had no time to find Ace a more comfortable pair of shoes. He had to go home in his dress shoes.

The car ride was awkwardly silent as Marco drove Ace home. He had attempted to initiate a conversation multiple times, but the teen was too horrified by himself to speak or even listen. If only Izo were asleep yesterday. He would have never mentioned Ace's drunken, _sexual _sounding slurs and the tension that was currently between them wouldn't have existed.

Meanwhile, the teen was trying not to squirm uncomfortably in his seat. _'Marco probably I'm some disgusting pervert now!'_ he thought. A car ride home with the man was inevitable, but Ace was too embarrassed to even look at him.

The blond's hand twitched atop its position on the steering wheel. He could see that Ace was rather antsy as well. "Do you mind if I turn on the radio, yoi?" he asked, wanting to lessen the tension between them.

Ace nodded in response, but he continued to stare out the window quietly. Marco sighed in relief and reached over to switch the car's radio on.

The song that came on was the one who slow danced to yesterday.

The model felt himself tense. This situation may have been worse. He knew that Ace was on edge, so he did not want to remind him of last night if possible. His hand moved to change the station, but before he could do that, he heard the sound of someone humming along to the melody.

He glanced over. Ace's eyes were closed contently and he held a soft smile on his face as he hummed. He looked so relaxed, so calm. Marco pulled his hand away from the buttons as he had lost the heart to change the song. He had to admit, Ace's humming was pretty relaxing to listen to.

When Ace heard the melody reach his ears, he smiled. It reminded him of possibly the only thing that did not go horribly wrong. He closed his eyes and started humming along unconsciously. He was glad that the song brought down the tension between them. Marco's listening went unnoticed.

This was the perfect chance to speak, yet neither wanted to interrupt the song. They decided to wait until it was over and hope the tension wouldn't return when the notes came to a stop. So Marco drove, Ace hummed, and a peaceful atmosphere settled throughout the car.

When Marco heard the notes of the ending melody, he opened his mouth to speak. Then he realized that they had pulled up to Ace's house. The feeling of disappointment hit him like a wave. He wasn't even paying attention to his driving, yet it was all so sudden.

Unbeknownst to Marco, Ace was having similar feelings of anxiety. He wanted to think that everything was fine, but no matter what he told himself, he couldn't believe it. "Thanks for this. It was fun. Well, what I remember of it anyways," he muttered, eyes downcast. "I know you probably don't want me near you anymore."

_'Is that what he thinks?'_ Marco panicked. _'But I thought the song calmed him down!'_

"So I guess I'll wash these clothes for you and send 'em back. You'll never have to see me again that way." He opened the door and put one foot out. "Well, bye."

"Wait!" Marco shouted, realizing he hadn't spoke this entire time. Shocked, Ace turned back to him.

'_Why is he trying to stop me? I don't know what I said yesterday, but I doubt it was anything that makes him want me here.' _

"What time?" the model blurted without much thought.

"E-excuse me?"

Seeing that he had stopped Ace, Marco took some time to reorganize his thoughts. "First off, I'd like to apologize for my family. Not all of them are _that _bad."

The freckled teen gave him a look of understanding. "Er- well, you already met Sabo and Lu, so I understand. And yeah, I know how Haruta can be sometimes."

"I guess that's just the price we pay for being the oldest."

Tipping his head in confusion, Ace asked, "So what's your point?"

Marco adjusted himself in his car seat in order to look Ace directly in the eyes. "If you really think I don't want to see you," he started, raising a hand up to brush the boy's cheek, "then give me the chance to prove you wrong, yoi." Though he acted impulsively, he figured that this was the best choice if he wanted to make this work.

Cheeks flushed from the contact, Ace's eyes brightened immediately. "Wait! Do you mean..."

Marco nodded. "Last night wasn't so bad. We're still getting to know each other, so there's bound to be obstacles. I promise that I'll take you on a _real_ date this time."

_'Is he really serious?'_ The words took a few second to process in Ace's mind, but when they did, a grin broke out on Ace's face. "Do you mean it, Marco? You don't hate me for yesterday?"

"Don't worry about it," the model smiled. "It's not your fault, yoi. You didn't know. Everyone acts weird when they're drunk."

Ace wanted to cheer. The fact that a second chance came along was almost unbelievable. and not just any second chance: a second chance with the _man of his dreams._ "So we're actually doing this?" he asked excitedly, trying not to bounce out of his seat.

"I'd like to try," Marco chuckled, seeing the boy's excitement. "So... Friday at seven?"

* * *

><p><span>Bonus 1:<span>

"Holy shit, Ace."

"What?"

"I almost had a heart attack! That guy said he was going bring you _here_!"

"About that..."

"Don't tell me. Keys?"

"Maybe."

"Figures. Your virginity is still intact, right?"

"Sabo!"

"Oi, Sabo?"

"Yeah, Lu?"

"What's a 'virginity'? Can I eat it?"

"Just... go play video games, Luffy."

* * *

><p><span>Bonus 2:<span>

"Where the fuck is your camera?"

"Don't have it."

"Cut the bullshit. You always have it."

"Honest! Haruta has it."

"And why _does _she have it? Do tell."

"I asked her to get that picture framed."

"Thatch..."

"Yes, Mother Hen?"

"Since I'm in a good mood from getting Ace's number, I'll give you _five_ seconds this time."

"Oh boy! That's two more than last time. Wait. What?"

"Five."

"Okay, we can work something out. Right?"

"Four."

"Calm your feathers, Marco. I was just kidding!"

"Three."

"You're serious this time. Aren't you?"

"Two."

"Shit! Haruta! Abort mission! I repeat! Abort mission!"

"One."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay done! Again, I'm sorry if this is crap. I hope you guys like the little bonus dialogues. They're just fun little things I like to add.<strong>

**Thoughts: I can't believe all the support this got! **You guys don't know how much I appreciate that. I mean, 59 reviews (well at the moment)? Wow! **This was originally meant to be a oneshot, but I accidentally forgot to set it as complete. You guys asked for more, and I got inspired. Here we are!**

**ONESHOT COLLECTION NEWS: I will be uploading the first oneshot on either Saturday or Sunday. The first one is called 'Second First Date' and takes place about a week after the end of the main story. I have five other prewritten and will write more in the future. But they will probably be in random order. When the first one is uploaded, I will open a poll to have you guys vote on which one will be next. The winning oneshot will be uploaded the next week and the losing one will be put into the next poll with a new choice. I NEED your help for me to decide this, so help me by voting on the polls. Oh and, KEEP SENDING IDEAS IF YOU HAVE ANY! sorry for the all caps**

**Please review!**


	11. Sequel Stuff

Okay, I'm pretty sure most of you know this, but because I got a follow on this the other day, **I'd like to remind you all that the continuation from this is separate. It has been up for about a week now, so if you want to see more, it can be accessed via my profile.** I know this is kinda stupid, but I just wanted all of you to know. it's also 'cause I lost contact with one of my friends that reads this, so I hope she sees this. Sorry and goodnight


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